Zucchini Kofta Curry

Traditionally, Kofta, known in the Middle East and African countries, refers to a meatball made by mincing meat, combining it with spices, shaping it into balls, and then deep frying or grilling it. As this recipe and idea came to India, many vegetarian versions were invented.

In India, many kofta dishes are made- the most popular ones being Malai Kofta ( made with Paneer), Kache Kele Ka Kofta ( made with raw banana), Lauki Ka Kofta ( made with bottle gourd) and Kache Papite Ka Kofta ( made with raw papaya). While Malai Kofta is the most commonly available in restaurants, the latter three are mostly made in homes.

Today, the recipe I am sharing is Zucchini Kofta Curry. In Germany, where I live presently, zucchini is commonly available. And since it tastes similar to bottle gourd, I use it in many Indian recipes in which bottle gourd is used. Today’s article is about one of the many such recipes. Lauki Ka Kofta, a popular home recipe, uses bottled gourd as the main ingredient. I have replaced it with Zucchini.

This recipe for Zucchini Kofta Curry has two components- Kofta and Gravy. They are separately prepared and then combined in the end. So, let us start with the recipe:

Equipment Needed to make Zucchini Kofta Curry:

Ingredients for Zucchini Kofta Curry:

Ingredients for Kofta:

1 Medium-Sized Zucchini
½ tsp Salt
1 tsp Ajwain (Carom Seeds)
1 Cup Besan (Gram Flour)
Oil; for frying

Ingredients for the Gravy:

2 tbsp Oil
1 tbsp Finely Chopped Ginger
1 tbsp Finely Chopped Garlic
2-3 Fresh Green/Red Chillies
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1-2 Bay Leaves
2 Medium-Sized Onions; Finely Chopped
2 Medium-Sized Tomatoes; Finely Chopped
150 ml Yoghurt with 3.5% or more Fat
2 tbsp Poppy Seeds (Khuskhus)
8-10 Cashews; soaked in water for about 30 minutes
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
1 tbsp Coriander Powder
3/4 tsp Dry Mango Powder (Aamchur)
4 tbsp Birista ( Fried Onions)
1 tbsp Kasuri Methi (Dry Fenugreek Leaves)
Fresh Coriander Leaves for garnishing
Water; as required
Salt; to taste

Recipe for Zucchini Kofta Curry:

Method to make Kofta:

Wash and grate the zucchini. Add salt, mix well and let it rest for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, squeeze out the excess water. Don’t discard this water. You can use it in the gravy.
Transfer the zucchini to a mixing bowl. Add carom seeds and gram flour. Mix well. If the mixture is very loose, add a bit more gram flour.
Make small balls using the mixture.
Deep fry the balls on medium-hot oil.
Once they are golden brown, remove them and keep them aside.

Method to make Gravy:

Heat oil in a pan. Add garlic, ginger and green chillies. Fry them on medium heat for about 30 seconds.
Add cumin seeds and bay leaves. Fry for another 10 seconds.
Add chopped onions. Fry them on medium heat till they become golden brown.
Add tomatoes. Mix.
Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, dry mango powder, coriander powder and about 1/2 tsp of salt. Mix well. Reduce the heat. Cover with the lid and cook it till the tomatoes become mushy.
While the gravy cooks, prepare a paste of yoghurt, poppy seeds and cashews by grinding them together in a mixer.
Once the tomatoes become mushy, add the prepared paste. Also, add the water that was extracted from the zucchini. Cover and cook on low heat for 8-10 minutes. Mix once in a while in between.
Add barista and kasuri methi. Taste and adjust the salt.
Add the fried koftas. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve.

Some Notes about Ingredient Sourcing in Germany:

Basic ingredients such as zucchini, bay leaves, ginger, garlic, salt, onions, tomatoes, oil, cashews, yoghurt, etc, are easily available in supermarkets.

Other ingredients, such as carom seeds, spices, barista, etc, are readily available in Indian stores. You can get all the ingredients from the online store of Spiceland. They are a big grocery store in Frankfurt, Germany and they supply all across Germany and a few neighbouring countries.

Here is the recipe in printable format: